Trouble managing sheets and Michael Storer sails my boat

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

Anyone else have a hard time managing the main sheet?  I was racing last weekend on my CS20 and lost the main sheet twice through my hand and it was short and ended up flying and the main went out and those small mistakes cost me races.  Is there any way to make the main sheet continuous?  Then you would not need to worry about managing the length on the two ends.  The other option is to make two separate sheets.  What is being done on the princess boats?  

Michael Storer, Australian small boat designer was at our messabout this weekend and he was impressed with the Core Sound.  He had only one comment...the top batten in the main was too stiff and not bending.  I will get a tapered batten for that.  Michael can sail a Goat Island Skiff as fast as I can sail the Core Sound.  Very impressive!!!

He commented that the Core Sound 20 is big enough to feel yachty, yet responsive like a dinghy.  He enjoyed sailing my boat.   He likes to proportions.  Says a lot of boats are too blocky and have too wide of sterns and get pushed around in heavy downwind conditions.  We had 10-15 winds and he liked the way the boat handled.  He had always wanted to sail a Core Sound.  He was quick to mention that Graham was also from Australia.

Now we need Graham to come to one of our west coast messabouts!  

Michael races Norwalk Island Sharpies in Australia.  Says they are really good boats, but do heel a lot initially.  He is well aware of how to sail a cat ketch.  He thinks the Princess 22 would be a good boat and would sail a lot more upright than the NIS's.

[paul_stewart]

Joe,

I found helpful:  (1) In that situation you mentioned ("lost the main sheet ... it was short and ended up flying and the main went out"),  on our CS20 a figure-8 knot on each end of the sheet is caught by a fairlead near the main-sheet cleat.  (2) Learned to give more attention now and then to balancing the lengths on each side.  (3) Replaced the line I was using as the main sheet with an much longer line.  The extra length has not caused any tangling problems and the generous length is more forgiving. 

[by the way...  Originally the line I obtained from B&B was intended to be cut into two pieces: one for the main sheet, one for the mizzen sheet.  I procrastinated on deciding where to cut it and for a long time we had it running through the mizzen rigging and main rigging without being cut  --worked fine.  When I finally figured out how long the mizzen sheet should be, I decided to purchase a new length of line from B&B to use for the mizzen.  The original (uncut) line was then dedicated to serving as the main sheet. ]     

[sitearch]

Hi Joe,

Michael Storer has told me before that he was very impressed with my CoreSound. I actually built my rudder using his design for his Goat Island Skiff with his permission and help. It has been wonderful. He reminds me of Graham in so many ways. He is helpful and loves sailing and simplicity in boats. I almost built his GIS but went for the CS instead.

My main sheet is really long and I haven't had any problem. I also like Paul tie a knot in the end so that it won't get away.

Happy sailing. Can't wait to see pictures of your princess 22 under construction...

Bob

#199 First Attempt

Alaska

[Ray Frechette Jr]

What would be interesting is to see if Mik could sail a CS faster than you can sail a GIS..

On the sheet issue, I tis indeed possible to have a  double braid rope spilced toitself so that you would have a continuous loop.

Beyond me aws to how to do it,  but any rigger could do it for you.

Long ago I determined that splicing double braided rope was a black art successfully only accomplished by Riggers and such.

I bought the fids and read the directions and ruined a lot of rope and fids...

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

I appreciate all the comments.

I would be uncomfortable knotting the end of the sheets if they were not closer to the center of the boat.  A knotted and bottomed out sheet could prove to be disastrous if you could not reach to other end to play out the main sail.  So I guess I am back to leading the sheets to the center like Tom's Lapwing.  This would allow for faster access to the opposing sheet  Plus with the mizzen sheet right behind the mizzen mast, all controls will be centrally located.  Not much more of a reach for the opposite sheet.  Also less wear on the sheets sliding through the jam cleats.

I am also working on setting the main up with a downhaul halyard run to the cockpit and a snotter setup for the mizzen like that on the main (instead of the slot in the front of the yard and a jam cleat).  It will be nice to be able to lower the main without going forward to pull it down.  Anyone play with a continuous halyard for up and down?

I started out simple and have continued to complicate things.  Wish I would have had the option to build tabernacles when I built my boat.  Anyone else thinking of doing a conversion?

Does anyone have more purchase on their snotters?  Do you find that you have a hard time getting enough tention on the snotter?  Same question for the cunninghams.  

[MickG]

Hi: As a old Lightning sailer, I prefer the idea of  a center mounted swivel cam cleat and dead ended main sheet. I fastend one end of the main sheet to a SS loop mounted on the mizzen thwart close to the mast. The sheet then goes through a block also mounted on the thwart, then to the block on the  end of the sprit, then down to another block on the thwart, this time on the other side of the m ast, and then to a swivel cam cleat mounted behind the mast, in the center (right to left) of the thwart. A simple figure eight knot  keeps the sheet from running through the cleat, The helmsman ke eps the sheet in one hand, the other on the tiller. The sheet is thus always ready to be released wihtout looking around for it. It works great.

[Dale Niemann]

Mick,

Can you provide any photos of what you just described.  I am having trouble following your description but the idea sounds interesting.

Thanks,

Dale